


Happily Never After

by Lillielle



Category: 50 Shades of Grey - E. L. James
Genre: Abuse, F/F, F/M, PTSD, Rape, Rape Aftermath, Spitefic, Stalking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2014-09-19
Packaged: 2018-02-17 23:44:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2327480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lillielle/pseuds/Lillielle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimer: I own nothing.</p><p>Ana doesn't want to be with Christian anymore. He disagrees.</p><p>Abuse warning. My attempt at writing a longer fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happily Never After

**Author's Note:**

> Set just after my "Broken Fairytales" story.
> 
> This becomes very, very AU.

They don't tell you in the storybooks how it feels to be hiding in your roommate's closet, snot dripping down your chin and tears burning your eyes, as you desperately pray that your boyfriend's really gone, and you can actually leave. They don't tell how it feels to have cramps in both legs, and to hurt between them every time your pants rub. They don't tell you what to do when your Prince Charming is the Beast after all.

And so Ana waits in Kate's closet, awkwardly sat down in the cramped space, waiting for her roommate to get home. She feels shivery all over and sick, like she's eaten something bad. Her inner goddess is hiding in a corner, and even her subconscious looks shell-shocked.

She can tell when Kate gets home. The shout of surprise at the broken front door is enough to jolt her from her uneasy half-doze, and the sound of footsteps thundering through the apartment brings back Christian's specter, making Ana scramble back for cover in the clothes-strewn clutter.

"Ana?" It's Kate's voice, and that means it's only Kate, and she  _knows_ it's only Kate, but she still can't make herself reply. "Ana, where are you? Ana?!" Finally, the woman stumbles into her own room, and Ana can make herself peek out from the closet, even if only a little. Kate's alone, and Ana feels her shoulders sag with relief.

"Ana, what happened?" Kate's voice is too sharp, too painful, and she knows her roommate will see the cringe, will catalog it away in that brain of hers, but she can't stop that, either. "Did someone break in?"

"Christian," Ana finally manages to whisper, awkwardly clambering out of the closet. Pins and needles assault most of her limbs, and she ends up shuffling from foot to foot, flapping her arms for relief and feeling like a total twit. 

"Did he hurt you?" Kate demands, the worry in her eyes palpable. Ana hesitates, then shakes her head.  _Not today._

"Bullshit," Kate snorts, but she drops the subject, at least for the moment. "You look exhausted. Are you still feeling sick?"

Dimly, Ana remembers telling Kate she was calling in sick this morning. It feels like several lifetimes ago. Before she hid in a closet to get away from her boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend. Is he? She doesn't know anymore.

"Yeah," Ana finally says, because it's better than saying nothing. Kate guides her out of the bedroom and panic washes over her. What if he's still out there waiting? What if he's hiding in the apartment somewhere? What if, what if, what if, the phrase beats in time with her frantic heartbeat.

But as Kate settles her into the living room, some of the tension dissipates. He's not here. Kate would have said something if he was. Kate makes Ana a cup of tea and even though it's not that good, she sips at it until most of it is gone anyway, because it's tea and it's comforting and it's familiar and more importantly, it's not something Christian has tainted.

"We gotta talk about what happened today," Kate breaks the silence. Ana shifts uncomfortably on the sofa, still wincing at the residual soreness between her legs. He wasn't gentle. 

"About what?" Ana tries to pin on a smile, but it slips instantly.

"Well for one, the fact that the front door is broken out of its hinges," Kate snaps, then colors. "Sorry. Just. What  _happened_ , Ana? Your room looks like a tornado went through it, you were hiding in my closet, I just...do I need to call the police?"

"No," Ana blurts out. That, at least, she can answer. "No, don't call the police. It's fine, it's nothing." She doesn't know why she's covering for him. She promised himself earlier, huddled in Kate's closet, that she would tell her friend the truth. But now with Kate right there, looking at her, pacing up and down, she just...can't.

"It isn't nothing," Kate insists. She sits down next to Ana, places her hand over Ana's. "Please, Ana. Tell me. What happened? Why did Christian come over?"

"I missed work," Ana says, slowly at first. "He was...concerned, I guess. Especially after last night." She bites her lip, immediately assailed by the memory of what Christian likes to do when she does that. Her lip slips free from the grip of her teeth.

"Last night?" Kate gently prods for information.

"I...promise me you won't tell anyone," Ana whispers. There's a high buzzing in her ears, and she feels prickly all over again. But Kate nods, rather reluctant-looking, and Ana forces herself to continue. "I...I emailed him and on a joke, y'know, said maybe I didn't want to continue. He um...he came over anyway. And he..." Ana stops again. She can't say it. She can't say the word. "Hurt me," she forces out instead, and it feels just as bad. Tears prickle her eyes, burning in the corners.

"Did he rape you?" Kate asks, and the world tilts on its axis. Not trusting herself to speak, Ana nods instead, her head feeling like it weighs a million pounds.

"I'm so sorry," Kate whispers and wraps Ana up in her arms. It feels like home, as safe as the tea earlier, and Ana cozies up as tightly as she can, swallowing against the painful lump in her throat and trying to will the tears away.

"Ana, we've got to go to the police, though," Kate says, and Ana looks up with fresh alarm.

"No, we can't!" she cries. "He'll know, I'll--he could sue me if he knew I told anyone, I can't...I signed an NDA..."

"Ana, no matter what you signed, he raped you. He assaulted you. He deserves to rot," Kate points out, and Ana pulls her feet up on the sofa, curling up in a tight ball and shaking her head.

"All right, fine," Kate sighs. "Not now. What do you want to do instead, then? He's--going to come back." The anger frosting her voice scares Ana for a moment, picturing the anger directed at herself instead.

"Can we just...leave?" Ana looks up, pleading. "I need to get out of town."

"I'll call my cousin," Kate says. "Why don't you go and pack?"

"Thank you," Ana whispers and pads to her room on unsteady legs.  _There's no going back,_ she thinks, and there's a brief thrill of freedom.


End file.
